Endeavours
by Adrian Tullberg
Summary: Issues with an AU ...


The offical strode into the modest office.

The Minister was sufficently high up in the Kryptonian power structure to be handed overall authority on this one pressing, dominating issue; survival of the Kryptonian race and culture.

There was a highly skilled member of the Science Elite. His supporters would state he was 'passionate'. Everyone else who had met him would call him 'unsufferably arrogant', which was why someone as undenably talented as Jor-El never advanced into the Council.

Then Jor-El had discovered something terrifying, a combination of the Sun's shifting Krypton's orbit plus certain geological stresses equalling Krypton's imminent destruction. And rather than storming into the Council Chambers while they were in session and demanding they listen to his unrivalled intellect, he'd swallowed his panic long enough to gather supporters - General Zod being the most politic; their public disagreements were legend, but the two of them being in absolute lockstep on this issue practically forced everyone to look over the data, and come to the same horrified realisation.

Now the Minister was overseeing the logistics, and the Official streamlined the most ambitious civil project in Krypton's history.

"Progress?"

"Satisfactory. Production of the ships are underway; on schedule and on budget. The stellar cartography division have plotted the optimum course for Landing Site A; Earth, and projections for sites B to F are underway."

The plan was to create a multitude of four- to five-crew ships, and launch them into the untravelled void. According to Jor-El, only one ship had to make it to the destination point. The multiple ships would ensure success rather than one large craft.

"Then there is only one item to discuss, the Phantom Zone relocation."

The offical rechecked this issue. "Projectors modified for mass transportation are on standby ... municipal zone migration areas have been posted ... we can feasibly migrate the entire planetary population within an hour ... and the geological monitoring teams can give us at least twelve hour's notice ..."

"It's not the technical feasibility I'm concerned about, it's the ... inherent integration."

"Are you talking about ..."

The Minister began to get up, pacing. "The multitude of criminals already in the Zone? I hoped that would be implicit."

"That could be problematic."

"Yes, Jor-El personally and repeatedly assures me that even if we didn't vastly outnumber them, physical harm is an impossibility ... they hate us. We who sentenced them. The hate is so strong that they will find a way. If they hurt us, a suitably attractive innocent ..."

The official decided an implied remark on how the first thing a civilisation did when discovering a stable nearby dimension was to dump it's criminals and undesirables into it would not be tactful.

"Not to mention that given the mass exodus once we are released ... some will escape."

"Is there a solution?"

The Offical gave a tight, brief smile. "I employed my own initiative. As of yesterday, the Phantom Zone is ... empty. Each and every criminal in the Zone has been removed and accounted for."

"Where are ..."

"Relocated."

The Minister asked the important question; "Do I want to know where?"

"I think not. Inquiries in this matter should not be pursued. And given the mass extinction event about to occur ... it's very easy to overlook such matters, especially when we are concerned with the survival of the bulk of our civilisation, rather than a very small minority."

"Will-"

"Jor-El is fully preoccupied. Along with his wife and his most ardent supporters. Security and all other support staff are under strict instructions to make sure that the survival of our race depends on them staying focussed on their work. Anyone else who asks questions ..."

"... will be relocated?"

"With an unprecedented logistical exercise like this, some are bound to slip through the cracks. Unfortunate, but regrettably certain to happen."

"Unfortunate. I trust you can oversee this with a minimum of ... unpleasantness."

The offical repated his little smile. "I shall endeavour."

"The next item on the agenda ...?"


End file.
